Today I spoke with the new enlightened real estate buyer of 2009.  Her name was Fiona.  She called us for a recommendation of a buyer agent because her son, Omar, seemed to be running in to new developers who insisted he buy their $200,000 model.  While he qualified for that much, he and his mom agreed that they wanted to stay in the $165-170,000 range.  Why?  “Because even though he has a great and secure government job, we want to make sure there is some cushion in his monthly expenses”.   She wanted an agent who would fully appreciate that request.

This sort of request used to be rare.  I’m pleased that now early in 2009 we are starting to hear what we have counseled buyers in the past: “Stay within your comfortable monthly budget, and have that number strongly in mind BEFORE going in for your first appointment with a real estate agent”